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LSU braces for 'Backs

Tigers one victory from capturing SEC West title

No. 3 LSU and Matt Mauck play their final regular-season game today against Arkansas.

Rogelio Solis/AP BATON ROUGE, La. - Arkansas has given LSU all kinds of problems recently, which is why Tigers coach Nick Saban wants his players to remember the teams' last two games.

''Every time we have played these guys, at least the last two years that we have played them, they always come back,'' Saban said as No. 3 LSU prepared for Friday's game against Arkansas.

A year ago, LSU blew a 10-point lead in the final five minutes and lost 21-20, sending the Razorbacks to the Southeastern Conference title game. In 2001, LSU nearly blew a 16-point lead but won 41-38 and went on to win the SEC championship.

This time, a national title is on the line for LSU, too. If the Tigers beat Arkansas and become SEC champions, they would remain in the running for a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in the Sugar Bowl.

LSU (10-1, 6-1 SEC) comes into the game off a close-call 17-14 win over Mississippi last week, a game in which the Rebels' Jonathan Nichols missed a 36-yard field-goal try with 4:15 left that would have tied the score.

Arkansas (8-3, 4-3) beat Mississippi State 52-6 last week.

Saban isn't the only coach reminding his players about last year's matchup. Arkansas coach Houston Nutt likes to talk about Matt Jones' 31-yard TD pass with 9 seconds left gave his Hogs the one-point win over the Tigers.

''Those are the plays that you practice on every week that most of the time never work,'' Nutt said. ''The teaching tool you can take from it is: You never know. As long as you have one play left, you play it to the fullest and execute because you never know what can happen.''

That comeback has bothered LSU ever since.

''We had a bitter taste in our mouths all year,'' defensive end Marquise Hill said. ''The way they came back is something I've been thinking about a lot.''

In other Top 25 games today, it's No. 15 Miami (Ohio) at UCF; No. 6 Texas at Texas A&M; and No. 25 Nebraska at Colorado.

LSU has won five in a row since its 19-7 loss to Florida, while Arkansas has won four straight since consecutive losses to Auburn, Florida and Mississippi. In those four wins, including a seven-overtime 71-63 win over Kentucky, the Hogs have outscored their opponents 199-95.

''We're playing pretty good,'' Arkansas receiver George Wilson said. ''We've been hitting on all cylinders for the most part. The offense and defense have been feeding off each other.''

Against Mississippi State, the offense had five drives of 65 yards or longer, and the defense set up 31 points by forcing eight turnovers.

''I think we all just came together as a team,'' Arkansas defensive back Bo Mosley said. ''If we come out and play together we can't be beat.''

LSU's top-rated defense needs to be at its best.

''We're going to have to be very focused against Arkansas,'' LSU defensive tackle Chad Lavalias said. ''They have a good offense and their quarterback can give you trouble. But I think we learned to finish the game against them. We've got too much riding on this to let up.''

Texas-Texas A&M

The Longhorns (9-2, 6-1 Big 12) are thinking about getting into a BCS bowl, but first they have to get past the Aggies (4-7, 2-5), who have won seven of the rivals' last nine meetings at College Station.

Vince Young has replaced Mock as Texas' starter, and Mock's father said earlier this week the player is considering transferring. Coach Mack Brown is trying to keep his team focused.

''I'm really proud of what they've done since OU when we really stunk,'' Brown said, referring to his team's 65-13 loss to Oklahoma.

Texas' best chance to play in a BCS game is to beat the Aggies and have No. 1 Oklahoma beat Kansas State in the Big 12 title game Dec. 6.

Nebraska-Colorado

Could this be Frank Solich's final game as coach at Nebraska? His Huskers are 8-3, but have dropped two of their last three games by huge margins - 31-7 to Texas and 38-9 to Kansas State.

Solich has been under fire lately, with the Lincoln Journal Star reporting that he could be forced into retirement after the game at Colorado.

The Huskers hope their defense can come up with a big game. Despite the losses, Nebraska allows only 14.8 points per game - fourth nationally. The Buffaloes (5-6, 3-4 Big 12) need a win to become bowl-eligible.

Solich, a former Nebraska player and longtime assistant under Tom Osborne, is more concerned with winning than his job status. Nebraska is 57-19 in Solich's six seasons as coach.

''We've got a game coming up that's a very big game for us as well as for them as we try to wind out the season,'' he said. ''This thing will certainly play itself out, and so we'll ride with it.''